Unlike your standard coffee table book, THE MOST SCENIC DRIVES IN AMERICA is enormously useful. Its 120 scenic drives are divided among four regions: The Western States (24 drives), The Rocky Mountain States (29 drives), The Central States (26 drives), and The Eastern States (41 drives). The volume begins with one-page maps of each region with each drive numbered and drawn-in with a red squiggle in case you want to see their relative positions and combine more than one in a single road adventure.

Each numbered drive is sequentially described, 2-6 pages each, and supplemented with gorgeous color photographs - 400 total. Each description includes a route map on which the cities and towns and road numbers are shown and the main attractions along the way pinpointed. Each attraction is summarized. Finally, each drive has its own "Trip Tips"; length, when to go, "words to the wise", nearby attractions, and where to go for further information. As an example:

The Eastern States, Drive #96, Pennsylvania Dutch Country, 2 pages, 2 photos. Listed attractions: Intercourse (a town, tiger, with a quilt museum), Ephrata Cloister (another town, built by the Seventh-Day Baptists), Landis Valley Museum (focusing on the PA Dutch with 80,000 items), Lancaster (a city with an historic Central Market), Marietta (another town, with a preserved silk mill), Hans Herr House (a home dating from 1719), and Strasberg (another town, with the Railroad Museum of PA). Length - 80 miles. Popular year-round. Bring a cooler to store food purchased at roadside stands, which are mostly closed on Sunday. Chocolate World at Hershey is nearby. Address and phone number for the PA Dutch Visitors Bureau.

So, I might ask the little woman: "Honey, how about a spin along Cape Cod's Sandy Shores (#91), or through the Wisconsin North Woods (#58), or along Devil's Tower Loop (#35), or on the Loneliest Road in America (#16)?"

But, just between you and me, several days in London and a leisurely exploration of the Devon and Cornwall coasts is my E-ride.


Flying not an option? This book will drive your senses.   November 1, 1998
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

As a young newly wed college student, sometimes flying is not an affordable option. With the help of The Most Senic Drives in America, driving trips are more enjoyable. My husband and I occasionally will plan a vacation and drive to our destination. This book gives helpful tips on the most senic routes, great places to visit and a lists the best times of year to visit each location. The book is divided into regions for easy referencing. The beautiful pictures are appealing and spark a sence of bliss in the reader. The comprehensive route maps are esy to follow and mark the nearby attractions. If you are planning a trip, forget about the airlines, read this book, and drive your senses to The Most Senic Drives in America.


Good tips, astounding photos, clear maps, great book !   June 23, 1998
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Me and my wife were able to follow about a dozen out of the 120 sugested road trips, in very diferent locations of USA (Florida, New England and California/Nevada/Arizona). This book prove to be a great guide for us because it shows really wonderful places, the way to get there and good tips. It was our one month best friend; even now I love to review its pictures, showing the beautiful places we did see and the ones we couldn't. The quality of the photographs is simply outstanding. We considered ourselves very lucky to find this book in the beginning of our trip. The best of all the three we had.


A portal to the possibilities   December 6, 1997
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

A sage once told me "A journey should be meticulously planned, yet organically executed". Truer advice I've never been given; serendipity SHOULD rule your travels. HOWEVER, you gotta start somewhere, and this wonderful book is the portal to possibilities. It'll bring out the wanderlust in anyone. I'm giving it to my parents for Christmas. My only quibble is that the thumbnail sketches are too, well, sketchy. I suppose further depth would have produced a book of unworkable size. P.S.: The Smithsonian puts out some awesome travel guides. Check 'em out.


Stunning pictures, precise text.   November 29, 1997
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Only a company with the marketing and publishing heft of the Reader's Digest could produce a "coffee table" book that you can buy for $25 (from Amazon, retail is $30+). Don't go traveling without reading the section on the country you'll be traveling through.